


Grandfather Paradox

by ras_elased



Category: SGA - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-03-03
Updated: 2007-03-03
Packaged: 2017-10-11 13:30:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/112920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ras_elased/pseuds/ras_elased
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"But what if you <em>were</em> able to go back in your own timeline," Chuck interrupted, "and kill your own grandfather. If you were never conceived, would you just…disappear?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grandfather Paradox

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, seriously? He's Canadian, is a scientist, is Joe's stand-in, has hair the color of Rodney's that is almost as messy as Sheppard's, and has _pointy ears_. The pointy ears are totally to blame for this bunny, btw.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Current mood:**

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crazy  
  
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**Entry tags:**

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[fic: grandfather paradox](http://ras-fic.livejournal.com/tag/fic%3A%20grandfather%20paradox), [genre: au](http://ras-fic.livejournal.com/tag/genre%3A%20au), [genre: crack](http://ras-fic.livejournal.com/tag/genre%3A%20crack), [pairing: mcshep](http://ras-fic.livejournal.com/tag/pairing%3A%20mcshep), [rating: g](http://ras-fic.livejournal.com/tag/rating%3A%20g)  
  
  
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**Grandfather Paradox**   
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Title: Grandfather Paradox

Author: Ras Elased

Rating: Erm…G?

Spoilers: Sunday, big time. Also First Strike.

Summary: "But what if you _were_ able to go back in your own timeline," Chuck interrupted, "and kill your own grandfather. If you were never conceived, would you just…disappear?"

Notes and Warnings: Oh….oh god. This can be blamed entirely on spending too much time in the hospital with my dad, sniffing antiseptic fumes and desperately trying to ignore my mom watching Dr. Phil in the background. It apparently made me go temporarily insane. Full notes and warnings at the end, because I don't want to spoil it. Unbeta'd, so please let me know if you find any mistakes that spellcheck didn't find. *g*

 

  


~~~

 

Chuck's only had a handful of conversations with his—with _Dr. McKay_—since stepping through the gate three years ago. He had tried to keep a low profile, but after Peter's death, he had been thrust into the forefront of Stargate operations. It had taken a long time before McKay could look at him with anything more than shock and maybe a little resentment, as if surprised to see him seated at the gate controls, like he had forgotten Grodin was dead. It had stung more than he had anticipated, but he tried not to take it personally. He figured he was more or less successful on that front.

 

Most of their early conversations revolved around improvements to the Atlantian systems: the dialing program, control crystal modifications, the deep space sensors that Chuck had "accidentally" brought to the foreground…McKay always made pleased little "hmm" noises in the back of his throat when Chuck came up with an inventive solution, nodding absently before scurrying off to make the necessary modifications. It's a reaction that makes him smile each time, because he's always known he's smart (okay, brilliant, according to his parents) but it's always nice to have outside confirmation. And sure, maybe he could be doing more than just manning the gate controls, but he likes his job.

 

He's talked to Colonel Sheppard even less. The first time they spoke had been an accident. Sheppard had spotted him from behind just as he turned a corner. He had laid a friendly hand on Chuck's shoulder and called out, "McKay! You'll never guess what—" He had halted abruptly when Chuck turned to face him, caught off guard. The hand slipped quickly from his shoulder. Chuck had known that Sheppard could be considered 'standoffish' by strangers, but he'd never fully comprehended what an understatement that was until he'd seen the Colonel's open expression grow closed off and guarded. That look somehow hurt worse than the looks of mild resentment he'd fielded from McKay.

 

Motioning vaguely to Chuck's Canadian flag patch, Sheppard had muttered, "Sergeant Miller, sorry, I thought you were…Have you seen McKay?"

 

After that, Chuck had gotten daring. In a reckless move that he knew would have had his father inwardly cheering, he had run a hand through his ruffled brown hair, then sat directly across from Sheppard, McKay, and Zelenka in the mess with a belated, "Do you mind?"

 

After a round of brief stares, a few nods and a careless shrug, conversation had resumed. He had picked up the thread of the conversation easily, adding his own thoughts where he could. He carefully did not choke on his Jello as the subject changed from time dilation fields to time travel to grandfather paradoxes. "Has not your experience with the other Dr. Weir already confirmed the theory of backwards time travel in parallel universes?" Radek said. "Therefore, if you go back in time and kill your grandfather, you are not actually killing _your_ grandfather in your timeline. Just as Elizabeth could not save _her_ expedition team, but she could save us."

 

McKay gave a frustrated huff past the mouthful of alien mashed potatoes. "Yes, yes, but you're ignoring the possibility of self-contained timelines within each parallel timeline. The only possible events are those which are entirely self-consistent, so that anything you did in the past must have been part of history all along. So you can never actually go back in time and kill your grandfather, because that would create an inconsistency."

 

Now it was Zelenka's turn to act frustrated. "Is that not what I just said?"

 

"No," McKay countered imperiously. "You said it wasn't possible to travel backwards in your own timeline, and I say it is. It just has to be part of the overall, existing timeline."

 

"But what if you _were_ able to go back in your own timeline," Chuck interrupted, "and kill your own grandfather. If you were never conceived, would you just…disappear?"

 

McKay narrowed his eyes haughtily. "Do you mean like in Back to the Future?"

 

"Exactly!" both Chuck and Sheppard chorused. The two men exchanged a glance while McKay just glared darkly at the insignia on Chuck's uniform.

 

"Right. Sometimes I forget you're military," he remarked with a vague air of derision. He continued to mutter into his tray about M-theory and quantum suicide and the complete incompetence of anyone in Hollywood to grasp even the simplest physical concept, but Sheppard was smirking at him with something akin to a newfound respect. Chuck just tried to focus on his jello and ignore the curious looks Radek was shooting between he and Sheppard.

 

Chuck resisted the urge to eat every meal with them, and only limited himself to no more than once a week. Partly that was because it was too dangerous, and partly it was because it hurt too much. He always had to hold back around them, bite back the easy words he wanted to say, look into faces that held recognition, but nothing else. Still, growing up in the Pegasus Galaxy had made Chuck resilient, so he took what he could get.

 

The rest of the time, he quietly watched them. It was strange, seeing them like this, so different yet so similar to what he was used to. The comeraderie was there, as was the playful banter that had always reminded Chuck of gleefully poking a sleeping grizzly with a stick. What was missing were the easy displays of affection, the gentle touches and soft expressions they exchanged without concious thought, and Chuck found he missed it. Atlantis didn't quite feel like home without it.

 

Then McKay didn't come back from M6C-873. Chuck was just coming off his shift as Sheppard was entering the Gateroom for the fourth time that night. Their eyes met, and without conscious thought, Chuck found himself saying, "You play chess?" Sheppard's grateful nod seemed to release some of the tension in his shoulders.

 

Sheppard was doing a pathetic job of pretending not to be holding a midnight vigil in the mess, his jaw clenching everytime the radio crackled, waiting for word of McKay's return. Chuck let him win the first three games, but it was clear Sheppard's mind was drifting. He wanted to tell him that McKay would be fine. He _knew_ it. Instead, Chuck won the fourth game, his smug, "Checkmate," eliciting a surprised blink in response.

 

He watched Sheppard's face as he replayed the last several moves in his head, a small smile forming at the edges of his mouth. "And here I thought Zelenka was the sneakiest bastard in the city. Where did you learn that?"

 

Chuck hesitated only a second as he reset the board. "My dad tought it to me. He always said, 'When in doubt, a slightly underhanded victory is still a victory.'"

 

Sheppard smirked. "I think your dad and I would get along."

 

Chuck fought to tamp down his own smirk. "I know you would."

 

Two games later, McKay had returned through the gate, mostly unharmed. Chuck found them later that night in the mess, McKay shouting at Sheppard about cheating and scheming and somebody feeding him devious tactics to win.

 

When Carson died, everything changed. He had watched Sheppard and McKay help carry the body back to Earth, suddenly remembering the words Carson had spoken to him years ago. "I promise ye, son, if it's what ye want, I'll take your secret to the grave."

 

A few weeks later, Dr. Keller called him to the infirmary. He knew what it was about even before he stepped through the door. "You wanted to see me, Doctor?"

 

She looked up from her file and flashed him an apologetic grin. "Yes, Sergeant Miller, come in. I've been going over some of Carson's records, and there seems to be an error with yours."

 

Chuck closed the door to her office, then took a deep breath. "It's not an error."

 

She blinked at him, puzzled. "I don't think you understand. Carson kept a record of everyone's DNA, simply for comparison and research purposes, and I figure your sample must have gotten contaminated." She motioned to his chart. "It says here that you're a match for—"

 

"It's not a mistake," he insisted, his voice firm. As Chuck explained the situation to her, he watched her face grow pale. When he'd finished, he said, "I trust this falls under doctor patient priviledge?"

 

Dr. Keller nodded once, eyes wide. "Yes. Yes, of course."

 

Just a few short hours later, Chuck watched as Colonel Sheppard's team assembled in the Gateroom for their next mission. Sheppard helped adjust the straps on McKay's tac vest, and McKay fished out the powerbar peeking from Sheppard's front pocket, earning him a cuff to the back of his head. Chuck smiled down at them. He was already dialing the gate when Sheppard gave him the thumbs up signal.

 

As he watched them file through the gate, he couldn't help but question when they would finally acknowledge the feelings he knew were there, buried under the surface. He watched his two fathers march through the gate, wondering if, finally, this would be the mission that they'd bring back the strange alien device he'd been sent back to destroy. The device he knew they'd eventually use to conceive him.

 

 

_~the end~_

 

 

In case you just want the warning: This fic involves off screen pseudo!mpreg via an artificial incubation device. I am so, so sorry. *head desk*

 

Additional notes: Okay, seriously? He's Canadian, is a scientist, is Joe's stand-in, has hair the color of Rodney's that is almost as messy as Sheppard's, and has _pointy ears_. The pointy ears are totally to blame for this bunny, btw.

 

Also, should I continue this? Or should I just put this bunny out of it's misery? Because my brain is demented enough that I could really enjoy this. Chuck is their son from the future! But still…this is an entirely new level of crack for me…

ETA: as [](http://nightspring.livejournal.com/profile)[**nightspring**](http://nightspring.livejournal.com/) pointed out, Chuck actually was part of the original Atlantis expedition. *dopeslaps self* Corrected now. Also, I forgot to mention that some of the stuff about time travel paradoxes is blatantly stolen off Wikipedia.

ETA2: thanks to [](http://taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com/profile)[**taste_is_sweet**](http://taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com/) for pointing out that Chuck is Joe's stand-in, not David's. Like I said, _temporary insanity_!  


 


End file.
